Donkey Kong is one of the most recognizable video game characters in history. The original 1981 arcade game was groundbreaking for its time, introducing players to the first gaming villain who was also the hero’s love interest. The game’s masked ape also introduced a new paradigm for video games: making the player accountable for another character’s life by requiring them to prevent him from falling to his death from a great height. The premise may seem simple today, but at the time it was revolutionary. Despite being one of Nintendo’s earliest successes with home consoles, not much about Donkey Kong is widely known or understood. That’s why we’ve put together this list of interesting facts about Nintendo and its flagship gorilla:
Donkey Kong is a playable character in Super Mario Maker
The video game classic, Super Mario Maker, includes a playable version of Donkey Kong as a character for Mario to play as. This is a first for the series, as the only Donkey Kong game that has ever included a playable version of Donkey Kong is the 1982 arcade game, Donkey Kong Jr. Although many people were excited to see Donkey Kong as a playable character in Super Mario Maker, there was an equal amount of people who were upset that Mario still had to rescue Pauline from his clutches.
The game was originally called “Donkey Kong”
The original arcade game was called “Donkey Kong” and featured no reference to the hero or villain of the game – just the title and the villain of the game. While it is true that the game was originally called “Donkey Kong”, Nintendo has never referred to the arcade game as “Donkey Kong”. Since 1982, the arcade game has been called “Donkey Kong”, while the name of the Nintendo character has remained unchanged.
There are more than 80 million copies of Donkey Kong in circulation
Given the game’s popularity and its status as a cultural icon, it’s no surprise that there have been more than 80 million copies of Donkey Kong in circulation since the game was first released in 1981. This number applies only to arcade machines and does not include the number of console versions of Donkey Kong, nor does it include any remakes or re-releases. With that in mind, it’s not surprising to know that the original arcade machine is worth thousands of dollars due to its rarity.
The game has been featured in other popular media and pop culture
Given its iconic status, it should come as no surprise that Donkey Kong has been featured in other pop culture items, such as TV shows, comics, and movies. It has also been featured in music videos and popular soundtracks, such as on the episodes of the TV show, Robot Chicken, and in the movie, Ready Player One. In 1996, the game was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the “most profitable coin-operated arcade game”.
A 2014 survey showed that DK is still one of the most recognizable Nintendo characters
In 2014, a study was conducted to determine which video game characters are the most recognizable. Despite being one of Nintendo’s oldest franchises, Donkey Kong was among the top 10 most recognizable video game characters in the world. The 10 Most Recognizable Video Game Characters In The World
Conclusion
As one of the oldest and most popular arcade games of all time, Donkey Kong is a gaming legend. The game has been featured in other pop culture items, and a survey has shown that the game’s characters are still some of the most recognizable video game characters in the world. Come explore the fascinating facts of this gaming classic!